The Beast of the Sea
by Kid Leviathan
Summary: The Leviathan is a creature of stories-never truly existing in the world. But now a beast has appeared that's been terrorized islands in the Grand Line. Is it actually a Leviathan or is it something else?
1. Chapter 1: The Stories are True

"It's the Leviathan! Run for your lives!"

* * *

A figure sat up in the darkness, rubbing their eyes. The words were still echoing in their head. "Another dream. Hm." They sat up and walked to the window. The moonlight bathed the person, showing their figure. It was a young man with a thin, long braid and shorter, sharper hair around it. His yellow eyes narrowed sharply as he looked out at the street.

"Tch. It seems they're out again." His clothes fluttered behind him as he disappeared from the room.

Out in the street, a few men were looking around carefully, each one holding a torch. "Are you sure it's over here? You must have got something wrong."

One of the men growled, "I saw it! He walked into one of these buildings and didn't come out! I just… don't remember which."

"Ugh, of course you don't remember! You always get drunk in the middle of the day. Now, we should start searching inside. I doubt the beast would be hiding out here."

"Looking for me, boys?"

They span around, their mouths opening to yell before a loud thud was heard.

* * *

A group of pirates walked into the town after docking. There was a group of people standing in the middle of one of the streets. The captain narrowed his eyes. "Killer, go see what happened."

"Very well."

One man separated from the group, his long blonde hair flitting slightly in the wind. He walked silently up to the group without being noticed.

"It was here! I-it attacked us! The beast could still be out there!" someone was yelling hysterically.

There were two men sitting on the ground and both had bandages on their heads. Near them was something covered by a white sheet. Killer continued to listen to the people arguing about this "beast."

A woman started crying. "Our children will never be safe! Did it leave this island yet?"

One man on the ground was shaking his head. "I-I don't know… It attacked the three of us and disappeared."

Killer pushed through the crowd and picked the trembling man up by the front of his shirt. "Who is this beast you speak of?"

"I-it attacks our people a-and it's a terror in the night!"

Killer shook him. "Who?!"

"T-the Leviathan!"

The man was thrown to the ground and Killer walked away. The people quickly moved out of his path. It was time he reported back to his captain and say what he learned. He followed the same path the rest of the pirates had taken until he was in front of the bar. There was no pause as he walked into the dimly lit room.

"Killer! What did you find out?"

The silent fighter walked up to his bloodthirsty captain before stopping. "Kid. They said a beast attacked. They called it the Leviathan. Have you heard of it?"

Kid frowned. "The Leviathan? I haven't. Heat, Killer, I want you to start looking for this so called beast. Let me know what you can find. I want to know everything I can about it."

"Yes Captain," the two men echoed.

Heat rose from the table and followed the first mate out of the bar. Once outside, Killer stopped to look at his crewmate. "Search around the town; see if you can hear anything from the people."

"Yes Killer."

Killer span around and walked in the opposite direction Heat had taken. As far as he knew, Leviathans were creatures of legends; no one had ever encountered one. His first stop would be in the town's library that was only a few doors down from the bar. The door creaked loudly in the silent air. There were no people in there as far as he could tell. Killer walked passed a few shelves of books before he met someone. He walked directly up to the hooded person.

"What do you know about this Leviathan?" he commanded.

The person looked up slightly at him. Yellow eyes almost shone from under their hiding place to stare at his masked face. The person looked back down. "I'm afraid I'm not a local. Perhaps I can direct you to a book that could answer some questions." Killer followed the person to a different section of books. A book was held out for him. "Here you are. I can tell you that Leviathans were known as creatures that destroyed ships during storms, but they were simply stories made up by fishing communities. These people living here may be similar. It could simply be a story made up to cover the fact that a person attacked them."

Killer looked up from flipping through the pages to find the person was gone. His eyes narrowed beneath the helmet before turning back to the book in his hand. It said the same thing the person had told him, though in different words.

"_The Leviathan was a large sea creature known for the destruction of ships during storms. It originated in the South Blue and eventually spread to the other seas. There were two types of Leviathans that appeared in stories: the Sky Leviathan and the Sea Leviathan. The Sea Leviathan was the most commonly occurring creature in the stories. It lived in the water and came up beneath a ship to break it into pieces. The Sky Leviathan was a much rarer known creature. It could fly through the skies just as a Sea Leviathan would swim through the water. It hid in clouds during storms and would fall from the sky to attack._

_The appearance of these creatures was never clear. Some were said to be as long as three Marine warships while others were only as long as one. There have been few stories of the creatures making it onto land, though it is unknown how since all stories have agreed they have no legs. A common description would be a massive creature with scales covering the whole body and having two shorter arms with claws sharp enough to cut through steel. For Sky Leviathans, they were sometimes said to have little appendages, similar to wings, which were found along the length of its back. As far as it is known, these creatures do not exist, yet stories of them continue to appear across the seas."_

Killer gripped the pages in his hand and ripped them out. The person had been right; Leviathans were simply created by superstitious people, like he had believed. There was one thing he had learned, however. This "beast" that attacked the people here may have been a person who was being called a Leviathan. If that was true and it had been attacking other areas, perhaps there was something in the papers the Marines sent out. He pushed the crumpled papers in his pocket and left the dusty building. His next stop would be the bar again.

He pushed the door open and strode directly up to the counter. "Give me a paper."

The bartender quietly complied with the command; he knew better than to question a pirate. Killer flipped through the pages quickly, looking for a specific picture. His captain was getting angry in the background.

"Oi! Killer! What the hell are you doing?" He walked up to where his first mate was standing.

Killer paused at an image, or the lack thereof. He held the paper up to Kid's face. "Looking for this."

It was a bounty poster, but there was no picture. It had only a name and number. _"Leviathan—2,000,000 beri—Wanted Alive."_ Kid frowned when he looked back up at Killer. "Wanted alive? What the hell is this about?"

Killer shook his head. "I went to the library. Someone told me to look for a person instead of a beast. It appears they were right."

Kid's frown was still present. He pushed the paper back at Killer. "Keep tracking this beast. Perhaps the Marines will catch a picture of it and then we can find it."

Killer nodded. He would add the poster to the pages he ripped out. If any more information showed up, he would get it.

* * *

The person brushed their pale blue hair back with a sigh. "Looks like they haven't found me here yet."

He jumped off the building into the alley before joining the rush of people walking down the street. His trench coat was wide open, showing a low-necked shirt and black cargo pants. He looked no different from the rest of the people except for his long strand of hair in a braid and the bright yellow of his eyes. He joined the group of people that split off to move down a side street. Most of them were talking about some sort of celebration that was going to be happening within the next few days.

"It will be so exciting!" one of the women exclaimed. "We will have to dance around the fire together, John."

"Yes, yes, of course we will, Sarah. Now let's get our presents wrapped before the children come home."

The people around began leaving one by one as houses were passed by until the man was alone once more. The buildings around him were becoming covered in shadows as the sun went down. He continued walking until he was outside of the settlement. Trees started growing in this area and they only grew thicker the further he walked. He suddenly paused in the middle of a clearing, a small light glowing from the black band on his neck.

"Hn, we were supposed to meet here. What the hell happened back there?" There was a small snap of a twig as a figure appeared at the edge of a clearing. "You're here. Why did you choose this place to meet, but first: what news do you have for me?"

* * *

The higher-ups stood at the bow of the ship as it pulled into the port. "Finally. Perhaps this island will keep me more entertained." Kid's smile was bloody and dark.

"Just make sure to leave the fighting until after we have obtained our supplies." Killer's voice was much more even and calm compared to his captain's.

There was no reply as they jumped to the dock. The people around knew to keep out of the way of the Kid Pirates and their bloodbaths. No one dared look up at the pirate captain, in fear that he would kill them all without a second thought. Kid, however, could feel the power he had over the defenseless people. And he loved it.

The first place Kid and his men headed was a store for supplies. The shopkeeper, through threatening, lowered his prices drastically for the pirates. Kid sent four men, one being Heat, back to the ship with the new food. The next place was the pharmaceutical store. Kid hated when his men sustained injuries, but he knew that having the supplies was important. As a devil fruit user, it was crucial for him to have even just a few bandages around in case he was wounded by seastone, not that he would ever let his enemies close enough to hurt him with it. Unfortunately for him, the store was closed. Unfortunately for the owner, Kid doesn't care whether something is opened or closed.

With two more men sent back to the ship and his bag of beri no emptier than before the bandages, Kid walked with a smirk into the bar. He sat down in the corner with his first mate. "Oi, bring us some drinks," he yelled at the bartender.

A quiet, young girl was forced to set the bottles down on the table before scurrying off somewhere. Killer frowned beneath his helmet at the lack of a straw for him; he refused to take his helmet off around these people. "You'd better be bringing me back a straw," he threatened the workers.

A moment later and it was set in front of him. He silently set the straw into his drink and passed it through a hole in his mask as he looked around the room.

"You were the one in the library."

A hooded person looked in the pirates' direction. They were only a few tables apart. "Hello again. I had not expected to meet you here."

Kid looked between the two. "Who the hell is this, Killer?"

"Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Frost. I apologize for not saying so earlier." The person bowed slightly in their seat. "It is a pleasure to meet the infamous Eustass "Captain" Kid and his first mate, "Massacre Soldier" Killer."

Kid's mouth turned up into an evil grin. "So you were the one who told Killer to look into the Leviathan being a person. How did you know that?" he commanded.

The person shook their head. "I'm afraid it was simply an educated guess. I have been researching things such as the Leviathan, though no one seems to be able to tell me anything. I've been following the same path that it has been taking, so hopefully it will appear soon."

Killer seemed to sit up straighter. "It should be here? How can you tell?"

"From what I can tell, the Log Prose has been pointing to only one island lately. If it's a person, and I do believe it is, they would have to follow the direction it points or else chance being lost in the middle of the sea."

Killer nodded his head as he listened. "So we are on the same path as the Leviathan then."

They nodded. "It would appear so. If my guess is correct, the Leviathan, if it really is on the island, will be forced to stay for one more day. The Prose will set after 36 hours, and it had been seen at the last island just before I left. Unfortunately, I don't know how it travels, so I can't give an exact time."

Kid chuckled under his breath. "We can find it then. Oi, boy, tell me how to find the Leviathan."

The person ducked their head slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know that yet. However," they began before Kid's temper could rise, "it is possible the Leviathan does not fit in with the locals here. It's been reported to have attacked many people, most either suffering from severe injuries or dead. It would be my guess that it doesn't mingle properly with people. If you want my opinion, I would look for the outsider that is most out of place. You may even get lucky enough to have someone anger it enough to see what truly happens when the Leviathan attacks."

Kid's laugh echoed throughout the room. "You've given us enough information. I'll let you live for now."

The person bowed once more. "If you need anything more, I will be around the island. If you will excuse me." They got up after leaving a small bag of beri on the table and left. Killer watched as the door closed behind the person.

Kid continued to grin. "The Leviathan is here. I want everyone out looking for it until our ship is ready to leave."

"Very well, Captain." Killer continued watching the door long after the person had left. "How is it possible that this one knows so much about the Leviathan when no one else seems to have a clue?"

Kid frowned slightly into his glass. "It's strange. Are you thinking he knows something else he isn't saying?"

"Or maybe he knows the beast…"

* * *

The people of the island were setting up decorations around their city. There were flowers, banners, and streamers, plus so much more. The pirates did not feel as happy with these decorations as the people did.

"What the fuck is going on?" Kid hissed. He hated pretty things; it only made him want to destroy everything.

"It appears they have some sort of celebration." Killer had been listening to the people around them. "There is to be a fire and dance near the forest. What will you do?"

A few women walked by them at this moment. The pirates' eyes followed those scantily dressed women. Kid started to grin. "Let's see what sort of celebrations they have."

The people who were around the forest's edge were setting up large logs for burning in a triangular pattern. No one was paying as much attention to the dangerous pirates. They seemed intent on this celebration that they were preparing for.

Killer grabbed the arm of a passing man. "What is happening here?"

A flash of fear crossed his eyes. "We're getting ready for the autumn celebration. We dance around the fires and celebrate the life that's living and the life that we will make."

His helmet hid the small smile that grew. Killer released the man's arm before to turning to his captain. "So they celebrate children and sex," he said with a hint of amusement.

Kid laughed, his deep voice booming through the air around him. "This island is getting more interesting! We're staying for this party, Killer."

The group made themselves comfortable, taking over a seating area nearby. As the preparations were finishing, the sun was setting. The fires were lit once the sky began to turn black. That was when the women began to dance around the fire, some with partners, some without. The ones without wore the clothing similar to the ones the pirates had seen before: a simple bandeau and low-cut pants that hugged their curves. A few of them slowly made their way over to a few of the pirates, becoming "special" performances.

Killer didn't pay much attention at first. However, one girl had captured Killer's attention. Her hair glowed orange in the flickering flames, though the long black hair behind her stood out in stark contrast to her pale skin. Her eyes appeared to be locked with his as she slowly danced around the fire. She moved around it once, twice, and then started towards him. Her eyes looked yellow in the light of the fire. She moved towards Killer, not stopping her dance. She slipped past him, her hand brushing along his neck as she did. Killer quietly stood up and watched her moving towards the trees. He followed slowly after her.

There was a snap of a twig as he stepped into a clearing. The girl was still dancing, though her eyes were closed now. A soft voice reached his ears; she was humming. She slowed her dancing until she froze with her arms in the air. There was a sudden roar behind Killer and he snapped his head around to look. Above the trees he could see a massive snake-like creature rear its head. Killer shot forward, almost disappearing with his speed.

* * *

**This will be my first multi-chapter story. I will update when I can, but no promises. I can still do request oneshots if anyone asks for one.**

**I will say this only once, so you'd better remember it: I don't own One Piece, only my characters and ideas.**

**Let me know what you think and I'll answer in the following chapters.**

**-Levvi**


	2. Chapter 2: Attack on the Town

In the middle of what once was the fire and celebrations was now a giant creature. The people were screaming: the women in fear, the men in anger. A shout of "Leviathan" reached Killer's ears just before his captain's voice did.

"Killer! Get your ass over here!"

He moved again, this time to stand near Kid. "This is the Leviathan?"

"It's bigger than I thought it would be. If this thing is a human," Kid began to smirk, "then we might have ourselves a devil fruit user." He raised his hand and pointed his fingers. "Go get it."

His own men rushed forward to join the rest of the people, only, they were serious. Killer continued to stand at his captain's side as he took in the features of this "beast." It had to be as tall as the mast on their ship, and that didn't count the length of its body that was laying on the ground. It had a bluish sheen to its scale-covered skin and two short arms with claws that gleamed in the remaining fires' light. Sharp teeth could clearly be seen each time it roared, deafening the people around it a little bit more. There were appendages sticking out of its body, similar to the ones Killer had read about in the pages he ripped out.

A few pirates were knocked back when the Leviathan thrashed its tail. Kid growled, a "tch" slipping past his lips. He took a few steps forward to join his crew with Killer following closely. The creature turned its head to them and narrowed its golden eye. There was a flash of light on its neck and it suddenly twisted around, crashing through buildings.

"Damn it! Chase it down!" Kid yelled.

Killer shot forward after the Leviathan. He quickly pulled up alongside it as it pushed through buildings. He slashed at the beast's back and it roared out in pain. A thin line of blood began to well up in the wound. Killer frowned beneath his mask; his attack should have cut deeper than it did. The Leviathan suddenly thrashed its tail from the pain. Killer barely managed to bring his scythes up in front of him before he was hit. The power behind the attack sent him crashing into a wall. Killer coughed when the dust cleared, carefully standing back on his feet. Flames shot past him, just missing the beast. Heat joined Killer as he started running after it again.

Both men were forced to stop when they reached the sea. There was a flick of the Leviathan's tail as it disappeared behind a large crop of rocks that reached out of the water. They watched the rocks for a few more moments, waiting to see if the beast would come back. There was no movement so they turned and headed back towards the rest of the crew.

The area where the fires had been was completely destroyed and there were many people around it who were injured. The pirates were off to the side and the ones who had been hit before were being treated by a few locals.

"Killer! Heat! What the hell happened to the beast?"

Heat spoke first. "We chased it to the sea. It disappeared behind the rocks."

"I managed to hit it, but it seems like the scales on its body protect it. I hardly broke the skin."

Kid was fuming. "Damn it! That bastard must have been lying to us about it being human! Go find where he is! I want to deal with him myself." A couple of men moved to start searching when the hooded person stumbled into the destruction. "You! Get the fuck over here! What the hell just happened?"

Frost moved towards them, holding his side. He coughed. "I thought it may have hidden somewhere instead of being at the celebrations… Looks like I was wrong about that."

Kid grabbed the front of the cloak and lifted the person off the ground. The hood fell back to show short, spiked hair that seemed to glow a pale blue in the dark and a long, black strand of braided hair. His golden eyes were dimmed slightly. Kid shook him in anger. "You said it might be a person, but it disappeared over water." He raised a fist and punched Frost in the face.

Frost coughed again. "I told you everything I knew about the Leviathan. If it went over water, then it could have been a Sky Leviathan instead. Did you see it go into the water?"

Killer shook his head. "We only saw the end of its tail."

"Maybe its still on this island somewhere then. If it has a devil fruit, then it may have changed back into a human and started walking around. I wish I had been here when it changed. Its tail smashed through a building I was looking through and it almost collapsed on me."

Kid was frowning as he looked at his men. "Did anyone see it before it appeared?" Everyone shook their heads. Kid's anger began to grow. "Damn it! How the fuck did no one see it!?" He threw Frost to the ground.

"Perhaps we should check the rocks. If it is human and it can't leave until the Prose has set, then perhaps it is waiting there."

"Fine. Killer, Heat, take this so called "expert,"" Kid kicked Frost's side, "and go check it out. If nothing's there, kill him."

Heat wrapped his hand around Frost's arm and pulled him to his feet. The young man was holding his side tightly now, his face showing that he was in pain. The three men walked towards the edge of the island again, this time towards the beach where boats were lying. Most were destroyed during the Leviathan's attack, but a few were still intact. Killer grabbed the larger one and set it in the water. Heat threw Frost into the boat before climbing in. The boat was pushed partway into the sea before Killer jumped in. A pair of paddles was passed to Frost.

"Row," Killer commanded.

The young man picked up the paddles and, with some difficulty, began to row. They got about halfway there before Heat grabbed the paddles from his hands and rowed. Frost was sweating slightly, though it was clearly from pain. Killer pulled him closer and looked down at him.

"Open your jacket." Frost slowly complied. Killer grabbed the side of his shirt and pulled it up. There was a large black bruise covering his whole side. "You'd better treat that if you want any chance of surviving against Kid," he said, no emotion in his voice.

Frost nodded slightly as he fixed his clothing. "Thank you. I suppose I should probably regret meeting you here since either you or your captain will probably try to kill me when we get back. At least if I die, my knowledge will be known by someone else."

"It hasn't been decided yet. There had better be signs of the Leviathan when we get to this crop of rocks, though."

The boat stopped against the rocks. They moved much faster with Heat rowing than they had when Frost was rowing. Frost was pushed up onto the rocks roughly. He expected it; pirates were known for not being soft, especially the Kid Pirates. He carefully got onto his feet and walked forward before he would get pushed. There was a large, flat area on this side of the rocks. There was no way it could have been seen from the island. The men looked at the area and the answer to their question was clear.

There were large grooves where claws had been dug into the rock face and chucks had broken into the water. A lone bag sat against the wall as if it had been thrown carelessly to the side. It moved in the slight wind, showing that it could not have been there long. A gust of wind suddenly blew past, sending it onto the water. Frost suddenly began to climb the more accessible rock face. Heat moved to pull him off, but Killer raised his hand to stop him. Frost looked over the side of the rock face and grinned in the dim light of the morning.

"I knew it! There's a small boat partially hidden by the forest! The Leviathan must have changed back to human form and, when no one was looking, took a boat to the far side of the island!" He slid back down, stopping only a moment to push the pain of his side away. "It must have gone back to the island to wait for the Prose to set. We have to hurry! There's only a few more hours until mine sets and it must have gotten here before me!"

Killer grabbed the back of Frost's jacket and threw him in the boat. They set off immediately. Killer turned to Frost's excited form and glared down at him. "You'd better remember not to give pirates orders. Kid will kill you quickly if you forget." He leaned back slightly. "You're lucky we found something there. It's a little bit longer that you get to live now."

Frost nodded his head, his excitement dying down slightly. He held more still as they ran up onto the shore. He jumped out of the boat before Killer had the chance to pick him up. Heat grabbed onto his arm as they walked to be sure that Frost wouldn't try to run now that they're on land again. They walked quickly, getting back to the destruction in only a minute. Kid noticed them immediately.

"What did you find? There must have been something if this fucker's still alive."

"There were multiple scratches made along the rock face which were clearly made by something larger than a human. There was also a bag which was probably used to hold clothes, as well as," Killer nudged Frost, prompting him to continue.

Frost cleared his throat. "I climbed up the rocks to search for any other traces of the Leviathan and I noticed that there is a boat partially hidden towards the opposite end of the forest. It is possible that the Leviathan changed into human form and hid itself in the forest to wait for the Prose to set. But mine will be ready in only a few hours, and I'm guessing it must have reached the island before me."

Kid frowned slightly. "So we should start searching for it immediately. Men! Move out! Search the forest for a person! Don't kill it! Bring it to me instead."

There was a collective cry from the pirates as they turned and moved into the forest. Frost walked away from the group towards a bag that was hidden behind some of the destruction. "Oi! Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Kid yelled at him.

The cloak dropped to the ground and Frost pulled on a long, black trench coat. He turned back to the pirates with a smirk. "I'm going hunting, of course."

Kid's frown turned into a bloody grin. "You'd better not let yourself get killed. You're getting pretty interesting, expert."

Frost chuckled. "I haven't died yet, and I'm not planning on it happening today." He walked past the pirate captain and into the forest without pausing.

Kid started chuckling and grew into full-blown laughter. "That boy is getting more and more interesting! Let's see how well he holds up in a fight. I might just have to make him join our crew, Killer."

"As long as he can look after himself. I'm not going to save his ass when he gets in trouble."

In the forest, each man was searching the area thoroughly. Many of them were moving quite loudly as they pushed through the bush. Frost was different than them. He stepped lightly over fallen logs and moved braches as little as possible. He paused and hid behind a tree when he heard movement. He frowned; whoever it was was moving towards him, not with him like the pirates. He silently looked around the tree. It was a Marine. He was holding a gun in his hands, pointing at the trees around.

A den-den mushi suddenly called and the Marine picked it up quickly. "Yes sir?"

"It has been reported that the Leviathan has been sighted in the area as well as the Kid Pirates. It is unknown if the Leviathan has fled yet, but the pirates are still there. Male sure you take them down as quickly as possible."

"Yes sir!" The Marine hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket. Frost tried to back away, but he stepped on a twig. "Who's there?"

Frost grimaced. "Shit," he mumbled. He quietly stepped out from behind the tree with his hands in the air. "My name is Frost; I'm just a simple traveller. So please don't shoot," he added with a nervous chuckle.

The Marine lowered his gun. "Why are you in the forest? There are pirates here, civilian."

"Civilian?" Frost's voice dropped as he chuckled. "You see, that's where you got it wrong." He grabbed his gun from beneath his jacket and fired before the Marine could speak again. He set the gun back in its holster with a sigh. "These guys appear everywhere I go. This is getting tiring." He grabbed the snail from the dead Marine's body before setting off.

Frost began his walk through the trees again, this time on alert for Marines instead of the Leviathan. He pulled his gun back out when multiple twigs were being stepped on. He was about to peer around the tree when someone appeared in front of him. He jumped, almost firing his gun off.

"Shit, man." Frost rubbed his face. "I could've shot you."

Killer crossed his arms. "What the hell are you doing?"

"There's Marines here. One's already tried to shoot me."

Killer held his swearing back. He readied his blades and moved to a different spot to hide. Their breath was quite now that they both knew Marines were moving behind them. Frost nodded to Killer and they moved. Killer shot out from behind the trees and took down three men at once. Frost hid his body from the Marines as he fired his gun from behind the tree. The two worked well in sync; Frost didn't hit Killer and Killer was quick to kill any who made their way to the tree Frost was behind.

The moment there was a lull in the number of Marines, Killer appeared next to Frost. "Let's get back to the rest. Kid will want to face off against them."

Killer grabbed the back of Frost's jacket and pulled him along. Frost was wincing every time the muscles in his side pulled. He stumbled when Killer released him at the edge of the forest. He made his way over to the pirates, holding his side once more.

"Kid, there are Marines in the forest. I think they're going to converge on this area soon."

Kid smirked. "Let them come. We'll show them who has the most power!"

"Can I give a suggestion?" Frost stopped moving once he stood next to the bloody captain.

"What do you want, expert?"

"Can we set it up to look like I'm a hostage? That way you can set them up in a line which would leave them open to a full out attack."

Killer narrowed his eyes behind his helmet. "How would you know that?"

"None of the Marines saw me, correct? They will not attack if they think you have a hostage, especially if I stand in front of you. That way, once they are all standing where they are easily accessible to your attack, you can begin." There were no answers to Frost's explanation. "It would also give you the chance to see all of their faces as you murdered them in cold-blood."

Kid laughed. "I like the way you think. Perhaps we should follow through with this plan of yours."

"You're a strategist?" Killer sounded sceptical.

Frost sighed slightly. "If you follow through with my plan, then you will be able to decide for yourself if it works at all. Just one request: let me leave my gun on the ground in front of me."

Kid was still grinning. "They're going to start coming. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course. I've read your wanted posters and the articles based on your past experiences. Just let it go how it goes. When you decide to start the fight, just let me have my gun."

"Very well, expert. Get ready."

When the Marines came through the forest, the pirates were ready for them. They were all standing behind their captain and first mate with Frost in front of them. His hands were in the air when the Marines saw them.

"Stop!" One of them yelled. "Let your prisoner go, pirate scum!"

Kid laughed. "You think I'm going to let him go? You're out of your fucking minds."

The Marines all had their guns at the ready, but they couldn't shoot because of the risk of hitting Frost. "You're surrounded, Eustass Kid, and you have no place to go. Give up now and we will let you live."

"Give up?" Kid's face fell and a menacing aura began to grow around him. "Do you really think I would _fucking_ give myself up to the likes of you? None of you are strong enough to take me on!"

A sudden ring broke through the tense air. Frost slowly lowered his hand to his pocket and pulled out the ringing den-den mushi. "Oops. I guess I forgot about this little guy." He looked up to the Marines, the small amount of fear transforming to a grin. "I guess I let my plan fall through."

* * *

**I'm back again. I would've updated sooner, but I had forgotten how long it had been. Sorry to those who have been waiting for this chapter.**

**Hopefully this chapter is to everyone's liking. I'll work faster on the next one.**

**mystrale933a- I hope you like this chapter as well.**

**EmilyTheCutestEvilDeadGirl- Was it what you were expecting?**

**That's all the reviews I received. Levvi out.**


	3. Chapter 3: Escape to the New Island

Kid activated his power, attracting all of the metal around towards him and pulling Frost's gun into his hand. Frost shot his gun, hitting two men before anyone had the chance to move. Killer started the first movement, shooting forward and striking down more Marines. Kid formed a giant metal arm and struck at a separate group of Marines, bringing them down all at once. Heat had the next move, a burst of fire coming from his mouth.

Frost jumped back and swore," Damn it! I didn't know that about your crew!"

Kid's laugh sounded almost insane now. "You don't know everything about us, expert!"

"I guess not!" Frost started his own laughing. The Kid Pirates were easily winning against the Marines and he would be free to move to the next island soon. A Marine dodged a bullet and moved up to Frost. He used the butt of his gun and slammed into his side. "Fuck!" He fell to his knees as he grabbed his bruised side. He used his gun to kill the Marine before he could get another hit in.

Killer jumped next to Frost, dodging a hit and killing a different Marine. "I'm not saving your ass if you continue lying there." He blocked a sword and killed another.

"I… I can do this. You don't have to worry about me, Massacre Soldier." Frost gritted his teeth and stood on unsteady feet. He held his gun tightly. "I can't die. Not until we find our mother's grave and put everything to rest." Frost coughed slightly. "I guess now you know more than you're supposed to. It's a good thing I have no plans to kill either of you."

Killer gripped the handles of his scythes. "You'd better not try or you'll die before you can grab that gun of yours."

The giant metal arm fell in front of the two fighters, ending the battle. Frost fell back into rubble and tried to hold himself up. He laughed slightly. "I don't think I could hold my gun up to fire it at you anyways, Soldier. Damn it," he muttered, his fingers digging further into his side.

It took a few minutes, but the people of the island slowly started coming back out from where they were hiding. One woman carefully made her way over to Frost and lightly touched his shoulder. "Are you all right?" she asked, unsure of herself.

He looked up into her eyes and grinned slightly. "Just banged myself up a bit."

The woman tucked her hair behind her ear and pulled him up off the rubble. "Let's get you to a house and we can treat that with our herbs."

Frost leaned heavily on the woman. Killer watched them closely. The woman looked to be the same height as Frost, but her hair was covered by cloth, so it was impossible to tell what color it was, but there was a short piece of black hair hanging out the back of the cloth. "Of course," he muttered. The woman was the same one who he had followed the night before. The only difference is that she was now wearing more clothes. "How interesting…"

* * *

Frost walked carefully out of the intact building. Kid was leaning against the wall nearby and smirked at him. "Feeling better now?"

Frost sent a smirk back. "Women work wonders with healing."

Kid laughed at his reply. "How about you join my crew until the next island? Then we can catch that bastard, Leviathan."

Frost dropped the grin. "I'm thankful for the offer, but at this moment, I can't. I have something I need to finish first." He raised his head and saluted the pirate captain. "But if you're willing to wait, there's no doubt that I'll come back."

Kid glared at him. "My offer is one-time only, and you don't get a choice."

Frost leaned back against the wall of the building. "I'm not capable of fighting at the moment. What you want is a fighter, not a freeloader. I'm afraid the arrangement would get me more than it gives you."

"Our Log Prose sets tonight. You have until then to make up your mind." Kid pushed away from the wall and walked away.

Frost watched him leave and sighed with a small smile. "Yes, Captain Kid, but mine is already set."

He carefully got himself up and walked back towards the destruction. Killer found him at some point and followed him around, probably on the orders of Kid. It was silent for a while as Killer watched. "What are you doing?" he finally asked.

"Hm? Oh, I'm looking for my bag. Aha! Excellent." Frost pulled it out from under a few stones. He started dusting it off before he dug through it.

Killer didn't trust him fully. "What's in your bag that you need?"

Frost was focused on his bag still. "Any extra clothing I have, a few extra beri, and my bullets." He shook his bag, listening. "At least, I thought I had bullets. I guess I need to buy more." He shrugged before throwing the bag over his back.

"It appears your side is not as bad," Killer commented.

"Yeah, it's amazing how well these herbs work. I may have to get a few from the locals. I keep hurting myself when I go after that Leviathan. I'm lucky I haven't died yet," he laughed.

"Answer me this: how is it you, a regular traveller, have managed to learn so much about the Leviathan which no one knows about, and you have also managed to track for a period of time without getting killed like the ones who do run into it?"

Frost stopped walking and peered up at the sky in thought. "I suppose that's a good question. I've been after the Leviathan for a month now, but this is the closest I've ever been to it. I normally end up on the other end of the island since it's usually completely habited. It's not very often I come across islands that have buildings on only one side. I guess you could say I'm lucky, Soldier."

"And that woman from before: you know her?"

Frost looked over at Killer in confusion. "You mean the one that helped me out? Nah, I've never met the girl. She does look sort of familiar, but I'm positive I haven't had the chance to talk to someone like her before now. You got a lot of questions, Soldier. Are you hoping to find me telling a lie?" he grinned.

Killer turned his head. "I am simply checking your facts. The Leviathan appeared in the paper two months ago. You must have come across it in your travels at some point, though you've never stated why you started chasing after it. Does it perhaps have something to do with your mother's grave?"

"You ask a lot of questions, Killer. Don't you find that sometimes people don't want to answer them?" They had started walking again.

"There have been times, yes." There was a short pause before he continued. "Though they answer sooner or later."

Frost gave him a sideways grin. "Is that a threat, perhaps?"

Killer was looking straight ahead. "Perhaps."

"I'll keep that in mind. You sure like to threaten me. And to think I've never threatened you." He sighed dramatically. "Too bad we can't be friends right now."

Killer jumped away, the gun narrowly missing his mask. Frost took that moment of distraction to run to the docks and jump into a free boat. He pushed away from the side quickly and started paddling. His side felt like it was burning, but he couldn't stop until he had some distance between him and the pirates. He could see Kid and Killer standing on the dock, the captain looking clearly furious.

"No offense, Captain!" he yelled to them. "But I can't join you today!" Frost continued paddling until he reached the crop of rocks he had visited early this morning. He pulled his boat in until it was hidden completely. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Geez, that hurts a whole hell of a lot more than I thought it would."

"It wouldn't happen if you hadn't let yourself get hit by those men before."

He span around and smiled in relief when he saw a hooded person. "Hey! Are you ready to head out? And that actually wasn't my fault. I was defending myself. Now come on, we need to use this time to leave. The pirates are going to come after me soon, if they haven't already. Captain Kid is probably going to kill me if he sees me at the next island."

"Very well." The voice sounded almost bored. There was a burst of fire and Frost chuckled. "_Let us be off,_" the voice echoed.

* * *

Kid was fuming as he stood on the dock. Two of the men from his crew were rowing back towards him. "Well? Where is that little shit?"

They looked down at the dock. "He wasn't there, Captain. All that we could see there was a burning piece of wood."

"Damn it!" Kid's anger was close to bursting. "Killer! How the hell did that fucker get away from you? I told you to watch him!"

"He attacked me at the edge of the docks. I didn't expect him to try a hit and run." Killer was much calmer than his captain. "Give us some time. Perhaps there is a clue on this island to where he went."

Kid was still glaring at the men around him. "Go find that clue then. Report to me immediately if you find anything." He span around and walked to his ship, his coat flaring out behind him.

Killer turned to the men who were standing on the dock. "Heat, Splash: head into the forest where the Marines were. Shock, Burst, Flash: start searching through the rubble where we were fighting. Spike: take someone with you and go back to that rock. Maybe we missed something else. I'll be in the town if you find something."

Each group headed their own direction to fulfill their duties. Killer went into the damaged town in search of two things that stuck out in his mind: the herbs and the girl. However, he could not find the girl no matter where he looked. He grabbed a passing woman's arm. "Where is the girl who danced at the fires last night? She came out after the battle and helped the Leviathan chaser."

The woman looked tired and worried. "That girl? I have no idea. She came to our island a few days earlier and stayed with a family. No one has seen her for a few hours now."

Killer swore quietly beneath his mask. "What family did she stay with?"

The woman turned around and pointed. "They live on the far side of town. It's a large, white house with wooden beams on the outside. It's the only one like it in our town."

Killer dropped her arm and walked in the direction she pointed without a word of thanks. He jumped over pieces of rubble that blocked his path before pausing on the top of one. There was a large building that fit the woman's description, though one corner of it had been destroyed most likely during the Leviathan's sudden appearance. He jumped off the destruction and continued walking towards the building. When he reached it, he noticed that a man was working outside while a woman was taking care of young children.

"Are you the ones who housed the dancing girl?"

The man stopped to look at him. He frowned when he realized who stood in front of him. "Yeah, Maria stayed with us. What do you want from her?"

"Where is she now?"

The man crossed his arms. "What do you want from her?" he repeated, his voice growing hard.

Killer calmly grabbed the woman by her hair. She cried out in pain and the man growled slightly. "Answer my question," Killer said.

"She's gone! She probably ran off because of you pirates," he spat. "You brought Leviathan here, didn't you? We'd heard the stories of how it terrorized other villages and towns. But it always appeared when someone was looking for it. Maybe if you'd leave the creature alone it would go back to where it came from!"

Killer didn't loosen his grip on the woman. "What about the herbs the girl used? Where did she get them from?"

"I don't know! She just showed up at our house and used some on our son. Now let go of my wife!"

"Wrong answer."

There was a dull thud on the ground and Killer began to walk away. The woman and children were crying and screaming now. Killer didn't care about what he had done. He was a pirate and the man tried to give him orders. Everyone knew to stay out of a pirate's way and to do what they say. Only the idiots would try to fight back.

He was walking through the town when Splash found him. "Killer, we found something in the woods."

Killer stopped and looked directly at him. "Show me."

Splash lead the way back towards the forest. They went past the battle grounds where the three pirates were still searching. They shook their heads when Killer looked their way. The two pirates continued into the forest. Splash turned to the side and stopped when they reached the edge of a clearing. It was the same one Killer had been in only the night before.

"I came across a piece of cloth under that chunk of rock over there. There's no way someone would have been able to move it unless they were incredibly strong, so we should have been able to see who was injured by this."

Splash handed the piece of cloth to Killer. It looked the same as the cloth the dancers wore around the fire. He walked over to the rock and examined it closer. It didn't look like it was broken for someone to escape. In fact, the only thing strange about the rock was the small claw marks near the bottom. There was still a small piece of the cloth stuck underneath the corner of the stone. Killer stood up and gripped the cloth tighter. There was something strange about that dancer and he knew it. The only problem was that he couldn't connect her directly with the Leviathan.

"How is it she could easily fit into the spot of the Leviathan if it weren't for the fact that I was with her when it appeared?" he mumbled to himself. He turned around to Splash. "Keep searching for anything else. I'm going to see Kid."

Splash nodded once before he disappeared back into the woods. Now it was time for Killer to find Kid and report what they had found. He found his captain sitting angrily on the deck. He stood up when he noticed Killer's presence.

"What did you find?"

"He hasn't been found yet."

Kid's anger began to rise again. "Then why the fuck did you come back here?"

Killer calmly waited for a pause so he could speak. "I have something else to report." He held the piece of cloth out. "That dancer that helped Frost with his injuries should have lost her leg."

Kid frowned. "What the fuck are you saying?"

"Splash found this under a piece of a stone. It was far larger than even a man her size would have been able to lift. I found out from a few people that she doesn't live on this island, either. And those herbs she used on Frost? They don't grow here. None of the people know where she is right now. Perhaps she ran off with our expert."

"Are you saying she could be the Leviathan?" Kid's brow furrowed.

Killer shook his head. "Unfortunately not. I was with her when it appeared. There's no way she could have been the Leviathan. It's just that her timing isn't good."

Kid nodded slightly as he listened. "Perhaps if she's fled, she left with our expert." He lifted his head with a dark smirk. "We have another brat to look for when we reach the next island."

"One more thing, Captain. One of the people I talked to said something about how the Leviathan only seemed to appear when someone was looking for it. If we continue our search, that means we should come across it again."

Kid's grin turned bloody. "Perfect."

* * *

The city was boisterous as people moved through it. The vendors called out to people going past them, workers pressed through the crowds to make it to their jobs, and mothers gripped the hands of their children as they shopped for food. The hooves of horses and wheels of carts clattered over the cobblestone streets, creating more ruckus than the people around them. Two people in black maneuvered through the streets, their fingers intertwined so they wouldn't become lost. Horses were driven past them, people pushed through them, but they stayed together. They turned into an alley near the center of the city.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" one asked.

The other nodded. "I need to rethink our plan. If we keep going in the direction we are, it'll take us forever. You know how much faster we can move if I do this."

"You mean how much faster you can move. We'll be apart for much longer. They can't know about the both of us or what we have to do. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. But both of us can move quicker now that we know the other doesn't have to wait somewhere. Just promise to tell me when you've found something, and I'll try to tell you when I've found something."

They exchanged a hug. "I promise. Keep safe, sister. We'll switch when the time comes."

They took a step away from the other. One shot upwards, jumping onto a roof and disappearing behind it. The other waited a few more moments before heading back into the crowd. Neither was aware of the ship that was heading into the bay to dock. They didn't notice the pirates jumping onto the dock and striding into the city. They were too busy setting up their plan to recognize the threat that was heading their way.

* * *

"Killer, are you sure they should be here?"

Killer was silently searching the streets with his hidden eyes. "The Prose only pointed to this island. They would have needed an Eternal Prose to move to a different island."

"I see," Kid muttered quietly to himself. He lifted his head and looked at the men following him. "Fan out. I want you all looking for the expert and that dancer. If you see them, call us immediately. I want to be the one to deal with those fuckers. They won't escape from us again."

As the group passed each street, one would break off from the group to head down it and begin searching. Finally, only the captain and his first mate were left. They reached another intersection, one appeared to lead to a residential area while the other lead to more businesses.

"Hm. Where do you think they would try hiding?" Kid asked, his voice surprisingly bland.

Killer thought about it for a moment. "Among groups of people where it would be harder to single them out." An idea grew in his mind. "Kid, I'm going to search the water. Perhaps he decided to leave his boat in a smaller area rather than in the port."

"Very well. Report to me when you find something." And with a flick of his coat, Kid left.

Killer jumped onto the nearest building, the flat roof acting as an easy access point for above-ground searching. He continued moving from roof to roof, pausing only to look into the crowds of people making their way through the city streets. Every so often, he would see one of his crewmates as they searched. Every time he looked, neither person could be seen. A small sound of frustration passed through the holes of his helmet.

Killer was now nearing the water on the west side of the city. So far, he hadn't run into even one person that looked similar to the two people he was searching for. His frustration was slowly growing until he spotted a black-cloaked figure slip between buildings. Killer immediately jumped off the roof he was on and carefully peered into the alleyway. There was no one there.

He looked around behind him now, searching once more for that figure. He saw a flip of black cloth as it moved upwards towards a higher level of ground. He chased after it and paused at the base of the stairs. The figure simply stood at the top as they gazed out over the ocean. Killer quietly took a few steps up the stairs, his weapons ready to use at a moment's notice.

"I didn't think you'd find me here, Killer," the figure suddenly said.

Killer narrowed his eyes. "How did you hear me?"

"Let's call it a feeling. There aren't many people who would try to sneak up behind me like that." They turned around to face him. Golden eyes watched him closely from beneath the hood.

Killer walked up the last few steps and grabbed the cloth near his target's neck. "You shouldn't have run off like that before, Frost. Kid's going to tear you to shreds now," he stated coldly.

Those golden eyes looked directly at him, almost piercing through his helmet. "I have something I have to finish. My goal and yours do not coincide, Killer. I would gladly join your crew, if it weren't for the fact that I am on a mission. Would you or your captain spare time to help me reach my end? I doubt it."

Something about that flat, straightforward voice made Killer frown. He opened his mouth to shoot something back.

A crash closely followed by a roar. His grip loosened as he turned his head around to find the source. The Leviathan's head could be clearly seen over the tops of the buildings and it looked like it was in full rampage mode. The feeling of cloth slipping through his fingers had Killer spin back around to his target. There was no sign of the black cloak or the person. The water's surface was still and calm. There was only a gust of heated air that rushed past him. Killer growled slightly to himself before shooting back towards the beast.

The kid wasn't drowning or dead. He managed to disappear once more, but Killer was going to be the one to find him again.

* * *

**Here is chapter 3 for my readers. So far the story is working out how I've planned. Hopefully it continues this way.**

**mystrale993a- Thank you for the review. I hope you can continue reading and reviewing my story. I'll try my best to update at more regular intervals.**

**That's all the reviews I got in.**

**Levvi out.**


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